The invention preferably relates to a portable, wheeled dolly receiving a receptacle for transporting quantities of baseballs to a practice field by a coach, for example. Additionally, the receptacle includes a collapsible chair to allow the coach to rest while teaching the baseball fundamentals.
While the portable wheeled dolly carrying a receptacle of this invention is submitted to have broad application in transporting a variety of articles, the further description will be, for convenience, directed to the preferred use thereof as a device for assisting a baseball coach in transporting dozens of baseballs to a practice field. For an effective practice, it is imperative that sufficient equipment be provided to the many players to ensure the proper honing of their throwing, fielding and batting skills.
Baseball and softball players spend a great deal of time practicing and developing their batting skills by swinging at balls that are thrown at a relatively high speed. This form of training requires a pitcher or coach to repetitiously throw a large number of balls from the pitcher's mound to the catcher behind the batter and home plate. Thus, it is desirable to have a baseball dispenser that is capable of holding a large quantity of balls, offering easy access to the quantity of balls, while providing a convenient means to transport the balls after practice. Baseball practice aids, such as batting aids, have been developed over the years, as exemplified by U.S. Pat. No. 5,823,894 to Actor, and U.S. Pat. No. 6,435,990 to Bradley. However, only a limited number of aids were discovered for providing baseball or article dispensers to hasten and facilitate batting practice, for example. Two of the latter dispensing devices are found in the following U.S. Patents:
a.) U.S. Pat. No. 5,971,333, to Fiedor, discloses a movable self supporting tool implement stand, for the movement of articles, having a means for separating, holding and storing tool implements in the vertical position, and a mobility means for the articles is provided for permitting desired movement of the implement stand to and from and across a work area. The stand accomplishes this with a structure comprising an outer peripheral shell frame and an inner fixed tubular frame having top and bottom surfaces disposed thereon. The outer peripheral shell frame may be a cylindrical bucket and the inner fixed tubular frame is completely removable therefrom to provide a free standing movable self supporting tool implement stand with a separate free standing bucket that may be used at the job sight.
b.) U.S. Pat. No. 6,213,574, to Pierce, discloses a baseball dispenser for storing and dispensing a ball, where the dispenser comprises a cylindrical container which has an interior sized to hold a large supply of baseballs, softballs, and the like, and an opening at its top for receiving balls into the interior thereof. The baseball dispenser has a pair of handles secured to the upper end of the container and a pair of wheels rotatably mounted to the lower end thereof for facilitating easy transportation across the surface of the ground. One or more support columns extend vertically from the bottom of the container, wherein a compression spring is disposed about each of the support columns. A circular platform is vertically slidably disposed within the container and is engaged with the support columns such that the compression springs are constrained axially between the bottom of the container and the platform. The support columns serve to guide the platform as it travels in a vertical path along the interior of the container, and at the same time, the compression springs serve to automatically elevate the platform to a level at which the balls located on the top can readily be grasped for use as the balls are removed from the container.
The prior art clearly recognizes the importance of providing teaching aids and other devices that can facilitate the training and improvement of the playing skills of athletes, especially for large team sports where plural activities are conducted simultaneously. Baseball is a good example where many players must be kept active, and a large quantity of balls are used. Only the patent to Pierce offers the teaching staff the opportunity to transport this large quantity of balls. However, it falls short in providing the training staff, i.e. coaches, the freedom of easily transporting the balls, while also giving them the opportunity to sit and lecture the players, when appropriate. The manner by which this invention offers these advantages to the coaches will become more apparent in the following description, particularly when read in conjunction with the accompanying drawings.